Locking mechanism for traveling bridges.



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. C. LOCKING MECHANISM FOR TRAVELING BRIDGES.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA U614. 19H.

Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

1 CHARLES IBERGHOEFER, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN; EDWARE C. BERGHOEFER, OF

LOCKING MECHANISM FOR TRAVELING BRIDGES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

I Application filed August 24, 1914. Serial No. 858,394.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it. known that 1, CHARLES Bnncnonrnn, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State ofWisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in LockingMechanisms for Traveling Bridges; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple, economical andeffective locking mechanism for traveling bridges, the said lockingmechanism being normally held in suspension and arranged to be released00- incident to abnormal skew or shift of the bridge caused through windpressure induced by weather conditions. The said mechanism when soreleased will automatically lock the bridge in connection with itsrail-supported superstructure, whereby wreckage of the mechanism isavoided.

Experience has demonstrated, especially in connection with heavy dockbridges utilized in connection with handling coal or analogousmaterials, that heavy wind storms frequently twist these structures to aposition where they are wrecked and it is to overcome such contingenciesthat the above invention is employed.

l/Vith. this object in view the invention consists in certainpeculiarities of construction' and combination of mechanical elemen tsas set forth hereinafter with refer ence to theaccompanying illustrationand subsequently claimed.

The drawing illustrates a' diagrammatic view of a bridge structure inperspective having attached-thereto a locking mechanism embodying thefeatures of my inven tion. l

Referring .by characters to the drawing, 1, 1, represent carriagemembers of any desired type, the same being supported by truck-wheels 2which are adapted to travel upon rails 3'. The carriage members serve asend supports for a bridge member 3', the ends of which bridge member areanchored to the carriage members by pintle connections 4. Each carriagemember, as shown, is provided with a locking mechanism embodying thefeatures of my invention, but for convenience and clearness indescription the locking mechanism of only one carriage is described, itbeing noted that the mechanism of both carriages are identical.

. The carriage 1 adjacent to the rails carries a rock-shaft 5, whichrock-shaft has secured thereto a pair of locking members 6 in the formof wedge-shoes, the same being adapted to straddle and wedgingly engagethe rails or in any other suitable manner be locked to said railscoincident to the release. The shaft 5 also has loosely mounted thereona hammer-weight 7, which weight has arms 7 extending therefrom that arealined over the locking members. These arms are connected to thejuxtaposed brake members by flexible chains or cords 8, saidhammer-weight being also connected to a cable 9, which cable is coiledabout and secured to a Windlass 10. The shaft 10 of the Windlass issuitablyf jburnaled in the framework of the carriageand also secured tosaid shaft is a ratchet-wheel 11, which ratchet-wheel is adapted to beengaged by I a pawl 12. The pawl is hingedly secured to one of the beamsof the carriage and, in turn, is connected by a rod or cable to atappet-lever 13. The tappet-lever 13 is secured to a rock-shaft 14 whichextends lengthwise of the carriage and is mounted in suitable journalswith which said carriage is provided. The tappet-lever carries an arm 13that projects upward and adjacent to one corner of the carriage, thesaid rock-shaft being provided with a similar tappet-arm 13" that isdisposed in a corresponding position relative to the opposite corner ofthe bridge member.

When the parts are in the position illustrated the hammer-Weight andlocking members are held in suspension and locked in this'position bymeans of the pawl 12. Hence the mechanism is at rest. Should windpressure be suflicient to cause the bridge to horizontally twist or skewupon its fulcrum in either direction, it is apparent that this movementwill cause one or the other of the ta-ppet-arms 13,- 13, to be engaged,whereby the pawl 12 will be released and thus the hammer-weight ispermitted to swing down, together with the lock-men it is apparent thatthe carriage will be locked to the rails and the wind pressure will thusbe resisted as no further movement relative to the carriage or bridgemembers can be etfected. Thus it will be seen that the bridge structurecan be held intact after an initial skew due to tripping the lockingmechanism, which tripping is automatically effected by twist of thebridge caused through impact of the wind, it being understood that bothends of the bridge may be provided with the locking mechanism.

I claim:

1. In a bridge structure having end carriages, truck-wheels therefor,supporting rails for the truck-wheels, and abridge member pivotallysupported upon the carriages; the combination of locking means carriedby each carriage adapted to engage the juxtaposed rails, means fortemporarily suspending the locking mechanisms, and a release lever inconnection with each suspension means adapted to engage the ends of thebridge.

2. In abridge structure having end carriages, truck-wheels therefor,supporting rails for the truck-wheels, and a bridge pivotally supportedupon the carriages; the combination of a pivoted weight-controlledlocking mechanism in connection with each carriage adapted to engage thejuxtaposed rails, a Windlass mounted upon each carriage in chain orcable connection with its looking mechanism a ratchet-wheel carried byeach Windlass, a locking dog for engagement with the ratchet, and alever in connection with each locking dog having an arm extending intothe path of abnormal movement of the juxtaposed end of the bridge.

3. In a bridge structure including end trucks, track rails for thetrucks and a bridge pivotally carried by the trucks; the combination ofa locking means for the trucks comprising locking shoes pivoted to thetrucks and adapted to wedgingly engage the rails to locking the trucksagainst movement with respect thereto, hammer weights associated withrespective shoes and means associated with the hammer Weights and shoes,for normally holding said shoes and inner weights in raised position,said means being releasable upon certain relative movement of the bridgeand trucks.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand atMilwaukee in the county of Milwaukee and Stfi'te of Wisconsin in thepresence of two witnesses.

CHARLES BERGHOEFER.

Witnesses:

W. KATIZKY, Eow. W. SHEEHAN.

